Norwalk's Wall Street, though dotted with eateries that seem to come and go, is most definitely not the hot bed of restaurants that defines Washington Street in SoNo.

But all that might just be changing. Bar Sugo is a fiery new hot spot and probably one of the most notable new restaurants in all of Norwalk these days. Tiny and a tad hard to find, even though the street is broad and bright, Bar Sugo is a bit like falling through the looking glass, Alice. Once you find it and step inside, you are in the middle of a party.

This is an Italian restaurant and pizzeria, but don't confuse it with spaghetti and meatballs, Chianti-bottle candles and red-checkered table cloths of the old-style Italian eateries around these parts.

The spaghetti and meatballs here might be veal and ricotta with Calabrian chili aioli or venison with fig jam (both are fabulous), while the Chianti is vintage and still in the bottles. And the red checkers are big floor tiles, which along with old brick walls and tin ceilings and a shiny zinc bar, take old-time spaghetti and meatball places to a whole new level.

Add in a gas-fired, super-hot pizza oven, a bartender with style and creativity, and a wall of sleek wood tables and dozens of wine bottles along the narrow wall, and this is a place for the new and daring in meatballs.

There are even whole meatball restaurants now, but Bar Sugo puts meatballs into perspective. Not perched on spaghetti here, but given star placement at the top right of the menu.

The lead off is Mommy's Meatballs, but these tender old-fashioned bits are smothered in shavings of grana padano. Pork meatballs, a tad more sophisticated, have wine added to the tomato sauce and a crown of whipped ricotta.

Move on to the exotic with earthy venison meatballs coated in a shiny drizzle of sweet and herbal fennel jam. Ox Hollow Farm (did we say that the kitchen is devoted to local sourcing) beef meatballs feature melted gouda, red onion jam and truffle oil.

Sugo's namesake meatballs are a combo of beef, veal and pork with chopped sage and a garnish of sage leaves, very woodsy and hunter-like. Like any contemporary restaurant these days, there is a tasting menu of all the meatballs. Most definitely, order this for your table to share.

The waitstaff here is as energetic as the place itself, and our waitress recommended several small plates, each with portions ample enough for sharing with two or three people. Our top favorite is the burrata bruschetta with garlicky toasted slices of excellent bread spread with a housemade spicy-sweet tomato jam, accompanied by a dollop of rich burrata and a sprinkling of grilled scallions as a very pretty plate to assemble or enjoy separately.

Polenta comes in a piping hot crock with woodsy wild mushrooms, truffles and duck confit stirred in for rich, deep flavor. Eggplant Caponata is a light, lemony take on a favored Sicilian classic. Prosciutto-wrapped truffle fries are a fun take with a criss-cross tower of exactly that -- good fries wrapped in paper-thin prosciutto.

We could easily make a whole meal on the small plates, but the pastas sounded too interesting to pass up. Pumpkin gnocchi features mushrooms, duck and roasted squash in a rich, dark saucing. Lasagna is a contemporary version with braised pork and tomato.

Squid Ink Orecchiette is a seafood extravaganza with prawns, cockles, and uni. Cavatelli is a classic with a lightened Bolognese sauce, shavings of ricotta salata and a plated border of sage veloute sauce.

Pizza here is smoky, crusty and tender all at once. Toppings are uniformly of the highest quality, whether mozzarella di buffala and fresh basil in the margherita or sopressata, fontina, and 12-year-old balsamic vinegar in the caramelized onion pie.

Desserts, like the rest of the menu, are seasonal and subject to available locally sourced ingredients. We sampled a mildly flavored pumpkin panna cotta made interesting mostly because of the amaretti crumbs.

Bar Sugo is a lighthearted, sophisticated restaurant that serves serious food in an historic part of Norwalk that is just starting to be rediscovered as a dining destination. It is well worth seeking out.